by Joe Fowler
It was one of those quirks that made me different. The memory of when I learned of this ability always made me smile. Alicia informed me that werewolves could talk to dogs and hear a dog’s thoughts when we were in wolf form. We went to a dog park in Mobile and she was going to demonstrate. We were shocked to find I could hear them and talk to them without turning into my wolf.
“Everyone come back to the house. Seth and I have an announcement.” I thought this to all the wolves in both our packs. I was hearing a lot of ‘what’s up?’ and ‘what now?’ I moaned. “Just come to the house.”
It took a few minutes as the packs were taking their time. Some of them had been a good distance away when I called. I asked in an only slightly raised voice for Alicia and Anna to come outside too.
“We are going to split up. Tensions are high between our packs. Josh and I both think we need some distance between you guys.” Seth told them. There were some nods in agreement. Of course Jimmy had one big problem.
“Look, I am not happy that the two of you are going to be fighting each other, but if you guys make me miss out on watching the two most powerful creatures on earth go at it, I am going to be pissed.” Jimmy grumbled.
“Jimmy, try to remember why packs aren’t allowed to live in the same area. Now, add in the extra tension because of what is coming. Everyone here knows Josh and I are going to fight each other. It only heightens the tension between the packs.” Seth explained. “Do you really want to end up in a fight with Jonathan or Sarah?”
“No, of course not.” Jimmy agreed.
“My pack and Alicia will move to another location. We can’t be sure to find another cellar for Rosalyn so we will stay here. After we eat we need to start packing. It will be tomorrow before we find a suitable place but we need you to be ready to go.” Seth grabbed his phone after he spoke and made a few calls.
It turns out Seth was already planning this. There was a house on the western side of Asheville that would be fine. Discussions between Seth and the realtor had already taken place. It only showed how Seth was usually a step ahead of everyone else.
There were grumbles from some of the wolves. The loudest came from Alicia herself. She was against being away from me. I felt the same but agreed with Seth on her going with the other pack. She was everything to me and being at the other house would make her safer than being here. We were in the kitchen. The others were packing, outside on the porch, or gone for a run in the woods.
“I wish you two would talk to us before you make these big decisions.” Alicia began. “I know you are the alphas and what you guys say goes. It doesn’t mean I have to like it or agree with what you say.”
“Think it through, Alicia. You are being too emotional right now. Your safety is the most important thing in the world to me. This way, you won’t be here when the fighting is underway.” I tried to reason.
“I don’t care. The worry from being away from you is worse than the threat of fighting. How many times do I need to remind you all that I am a werewolf? I am not that easy to harm. Y’all treat me like I am made of glass and it is pissing me off.” It wasn’t the first time Alicia made these arguments to me.
“And if the witch uses you against me? What if she takes control of you and you end up attacking me? How could I fight back?” I pleaded with her to see the danger. She looked up at me with those beautiful eyes of hers and silently begged me to reconsider. I made myself stay resolved. “I can’t risk you.”
“Fine then.” Alicia stormed off to pack her things.
I grabbed a beer and headed back to the porch. The kitchen was too confining for me. I needed some fresh air. Seth and Walt were debating the merits of animals for Walt to change into. Jimmy was listening and making stupid jokes about whichever animal they were talking about. Jimmy’s humor was an acquired taste.
“Maybe you should choose to be a were-rhino, then you could be really horny.” Jimmy said laughing.
“Damn, Jimmy. That was horrible.” I said as I took a seat on the porch.
“You should have heard the giraffe jokes.” Seth said with a smile.
“I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to a tiger, lion, bear, and wolf. I guess it will depend on what I’m feeling at the time.” Walt sighed.
“I guess it would be a difficult choice. You have a whole lot of options.” After a sip of beer I asked, “Have you considered being a bat? You would be able to fly then.”
“Not really. Wow, a were-bat. There’s an idea.” Walt said.
“It’s better than being a baseball bat. Of course that brings to mind foul balls.” Jimmy cracked up over this latest atrocity of a joke.
“How have you put up with this joker for so long?” I asked Seth. I had a smile on my face though.
“It’s been rough but I’ve learned how to ignore him.” Seth was smiling too.
“At least he can’t make fun of my truck anymore.” Austin surprised us by appearing in the doorway of the house.
“What is the witch doing?” Seth asked.
“She gathered some replacement wolves. She is waiting on a group of mercenaries. They will be there tonight sometime. Josef had made several contacts with those kind of men. Tara is using a list he provided her with. She is so nervous she jumps at every sound. I think she wants to hurry up and get this over with now. She can’t stand sitting there afraid anymore. She will come here soon.” Austin reported.
“Good. The sooner the better. I want this over with.” I muttered.
“We all do.” Seth agreed.
“By the way, what did you do with my truck?” Austin asked.
“You never saw the barn I had built?” Austin shook his head. “I thought of taking it to a junkyard but I remembered how much you liked that truck. I needed more storage room anyway so I hired a contractor to build a barn behind the house. I put your truck in there for safekeeping. It is something to remember you by.”
“Thank you, Josh. I know it wasn’t much but that truck served me well for a long time. I am glad you kept it.”
I didn’t want to tell him how much it hurt when I saw the truck. I grew up with one true friend. Keith/Gabriel was more like a brother growing up even though he turned out to be an angel. After being bitten by Seth, I gained many new friends among werewolves. Austin and Rosalyn were welcome additions to our lives. It was only for a short while unfortunately. Austin earned my respect quickly and never once did anything to make me question the faith I placed in him. I would always consider him as one of my greatest friends.
The thought of Rosalyn made me look out at the darkening sky. She would be joining us soon. We would need to tell her about the splitting of the packs. She should welcome the news since she doesn’t seem the type to be among crowds.
The new house would be ready for Seth’s pack by tomorrow when we left the courthouse. Alicia and Seth’s wolves were going to take their stuff with them in the morning and go there after court let out.
Seth and I both were beginning to get worried about money. We were renting two houses now. The biggest expense was feeding twenty-five werewolves. Seth called the President and finally agreed to being put on the government payroll. I agreed to it as well. Our duties would be pretty much the same as what we were doing before, this just made it more official. Both Seth and I avoided it up to this point because we wanted to be able to decline any questionable orders. The President assured us we would still have a say in what we were asked to do. I hoped he would stick to that agreement.
The rest of the night was spent drinking. The tensions were already easing up since everyone knew they would have some distance between them tomorrow. This last night would be spent enjoying each other’s company instead of being at each other’s throats. It was a much better way for things to be.
Chapter 15
The next day in court was filled with testimony from the local citizens. Mr. Smith, if that is his real name, did his lawyerly duties in going around Asheville and finding as many people as he could to tell their s
tories of Tim Robbins, the dead alpha. Most every story involved some form of violence or intimidation by the rogue leader. One cop who testified told of more than one run in he had with Mr. Robbins. I wondered if the jury was as convinced as they needed to be about the necessity of this death.
We were bombarded as usual by the reporters and their cameras when we left the courtroom. Once we were into our vehicles and on our way, I could finally take a breath. Those courtroom walls were beginning to close in on me. I have never been the claustrophobic type but I was feeling it that day.
Maybe it was knowing I would be called to the stand soon. Once the locals were done, it was my turn. My lawyer wanted me to be the last witness. The dread was building in me. My lawyer said there were still three more townspeople to go before I would take the stand. It might be tomorrow or the following day, we wouldn’t know until then.
As soon as my car was parked, I was shedding my clothes. I really needed to clear my head for a while,
“Going for a run.” Was all I said as I turned and sprinted into the woods.
Once the power was being unleashed and the fresh air filled my lungs, my mind came back under control. I could open up my senses without smelling that courtroom. I had not been going on many runs lately. Instead, I kept to the porch and drank beer. This was needed. I opened up my stride to full speed.
I spent around an hour and a half in the woods alone. That’s when Sarah’s voice filled my mind.
“We have food ready when you want to eat.” Was her message.
I was getting hungry. I reluctantly headed back to the house. These woods had been hunted to the breaking point by our packs over the last month. There wasn’t a fresh deer or rabbit track to be found.
As I neared the clearing at the house, I began hearing more debate over Walt’s choice of animals.
“An ape would be very strong but I don’t see how I could be fast in that form. I would like to be able to stay up with you guys on a run. Well, stay up with the normal wolves. You and Josh are in a league of your own.” Walt was saying.
“You’ll need to add Alicia to that. She is damn near as fast as I am.” Seth corrected him. I always felt pride when people were caught off guard about Alicia’s abilities. Walt didn’t disappoint, he was shocked.
“Alicia? She is so tiny! I wouldn’t have guessed she would be so fast!” Walt exclaimed. “I guess it is like you told me. There is no way to know how someone bitten will turn out until they actually change form.”
“Yep. Sometimes we are a little different than expected.” I said in my super-duper creepy ass monster voice. Walt jumped three feet in the air.
“Holy shit, that’s creepy.” Walt said while Seth and I burst out laughing. Since I was still in wolf form, my laughter came out creepy as well putting Walt even more on edge. He looked from me to Seth and back again before he finally started to relax.
“I guess I should have warned you about that.” I said after I returned to human form. “My voice is a bit different when I’m changed.”
“I would have warned him but I took it for granted that he heard you coming. I keep forgetting he doesn’t have our senses yet.” Seth stated after he got his laughter under control. “It is funnier when they get surprised by that voice though.”
“Sarah and Crystal were laughing the first time they heard it. They knew it was me and weren’t scared a bit even though they were human at the time.” I was mostly dressed now. “But, they were in a more controlled environment then.”
We ate spaghetti and garlic bread, one of my favorite meals. Sarah and Crystal weren’t good at cooking at first but Alicia taught them pretty well. It was nice when I saw I could quit worrying they would burn my house down. Some of their beginning attempts were disasters of the highest magnitude.
We all grabbed a beer and headed to the porch after we ate. It was definitely more peaceful now with so few of us here.
“Walt, have you narrowed it down anymore yet? I heard you guys talking out here while we were cooking.” Sarah asked.
“Lion, tiger, bear, wolf, and bat are the leading candidates. I still think about elephants, rhinos, apes, and panthers. It is a hard choice. I have enjoyed being each of those animals from time to time.” Walt sighed.
“I guess I never looked at it like that. I always think of it like you are gaining something when you will actually be losing a lot at the same time. I can understand why it is a tough decision.” Sarah said.
“I’ve almost decided to just choose the wolf so I will fit in better. It’s the curiosity of what the other animals would be like as a were-animal that makes me want something else. The extra strength and speed from the lion or tiger is alluring to say the least. I’m very glad Jimmy isn’t here for this conversation. I like him a lot but his jokes were wearing thin.” Walt admitted. We were laughing.
“I’ve said it before, Jimmy is an acquired taste. I wouldn’t trade him for the world now, but he did take some getting used to.” Seth said with a smile.
“I think you should be a lion. I’ve always been fascinated by the big cats. Lions were my favorite.” The usually quiet Crystal spoke up. “A tiger would be good but I think the lion would be better.”
“I will remember that. I admit, the lion and tiger are the leading candidates. As much as I hate the thought of you two fighting, I am really wanting to get all this over with so I can make my decision final.”
“We are thinking along the same lines, though for different reasons. Josh and I don’t want to fight each other but we both need this to be over with. For one thing, he and I are the ones paying for these houses and all the food two packs of hungry wolves can eat.” Seth was shaking his head sadly. “I hated having to become an official part of the President’s ‘advisors’ panel. He will be sending me and Josh out on a lot more jobs now. I know politicians. Even the best of them believe they own you and can ask whatever they want. I doubt the President will be any different.” Seth sighed.
“We need the money though. My work with the Vatican dried up a couple of months before all this got started. I am beginning to see why. I think Lucifer put a ban on possessing to keep me safer. He wants me to be alive and well when he enters.” I shared my conclusion hoping Seth would be able to confirm my suspicion.
“Why haven’t you told me this?” Seth sat forward as he asked.
“It is only a theory I have been working on. I don’t know for sure that I am right about this. It feels right though.” I said.
“Let me think on it for a while. I wish you had told me all of this before.” Seth said as his eyes lost focus.
I was accustomed to this. I have watched Seth lose focus in his eyes and come up with solutions to our problems before. This wouldn’t solve a problem but it could confirm a hunch. We gave him some time to think.
The sun was setting now so Rosalyn would be stirring. She was only staying here to see Austin now. I knew her enough to know she would have done whatever she could to help with the witch. That was being taken out of her hands now. Austin has reported more than once about the witch making sure to attack during the day so Rosalyn will be one less headache for her. I don’t blame the witch for that. I would do the same thing if I were in her position. Rosalyn was formidable and resourceful.
I looked at Sarah and hoped she would be able to go back to college soon. She doubled up on classes when she could so she could graduate faster. Alicia, being an R.N. already, was helping Sarah with her studies. Having two nurses making good money would certainly help my finances recover a little quicker.
Good ole Jonathan was staying strong and resolute through all of this. He walked away from his job in Chattanooga to leave with the pack. He never complained about anything. He had an inner strength like you wouldn’t believe. I liked him more and more as I continued to learn about him.
“Has Austin been back?” Rosalyn asked as she opened her beer and sat with us. She looked sad for some reason.
“Not today. Maybe soon though. Are you ok? Y
ou seem a little down.” I asked. I know I wasn’t her favorite person but I still cared about her a great deal.
“I know we don’t have much longer here. I know all of you want this to be over and done with but that will mean I won’t see Austin anymore.” Rosalyn explained. I understood completely once she said that.
“Maybe Gabriel will allow you to keep seeing and talking to Austin.” It felt wrong as I said it and I think Rosalyn knew better as well.
“He won’t.” She shook her head. “Gabriel will say ‘it isn’t healthy’ or something along those lines.”
I knew it was true the moment she said it. As much as it would hurt her, I agreed. Rosalyn needed to try and move on. She would never do that as long as she could see and talk to Austin every day.
It was then that I thought of Walt. He was looking at her with both love and sadness. The sadness was for her pain. I could see how much he hated to see her suffer. My estimation of Walt went up then. He was selfless enough to want her happiness more than his own. I think Sarah saw it too.
Sarah grew by leaps and bounds when we left Mobile. She grew up with everything and lost it all due to her parents’ pigheadedness. They couldn’t deal with her being gay. The vampire wars made her mature even more. She was involved in her first fight and gave a fine showing. Now she was a smart beautiful woman who had proven her worth.
I looked at Crystal and saw her open heart. She loved easily and deeply. She still got that wonder in her eyes every time she looked at Sarah. Crystal had grown up fast as well, you just needed to torture her to get her to talk sometimes.
I loved my pack. I know it was the thought of fighting Seth and possibly dying that was making me so reflective on these people I loved so much. Being an alpha is like being a dad. You only want the best for them and you are so proud when they turn out so wonderful. If Walter decided to join my pack he would be welcome. I wouldn’t mind him joining Seth’s. I kind of liked my pack being small. We seemed to be closer this way.
